Hattie

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A familiar short form of the female first name Harriet, often used as a nickname for someone so named
2. A pet form of the girl's given name Harriet, commonly used by family and friends in affectionate speech
3. An informal diminutive of the first name Harriet, typically given to a woman or girl called by that name

Etymology: Hattie is a pet form of Harriet, which is itself a feminine name built on the Germanic "Heimerich", or possibly "Henry" in its Anglo-French form, depending on which theory you follow. The name Harriet reached England with the Norman French "Henriette" in the medieval period, and the diminutive endings "-ie" and "-y" were attached to it in the way English speakers have long shortened and affectionately altered personal names. The suffix doing the work here is the same one found in Betty from Elizabeth, Nellie from Ellen, and Jackie from Jack. Using such endings turned a formal given name into something warm and informal, and "Hattie" in particular became common in English-speaking countries as a standalone first name in its own right, not only as a nickname.